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Ensuring Political Stability And Rebuilding Key For Vanuatu's New Coalition Government - Expert
Margot Staunton, Senior Journalist
An expert on Vanuatu politics says rebuilding Port Vila's devastated CBD is a key issue that the new government has to deal with.
Jotham Napat, 52, the country's fourth Prime Minister in five years, was elected unopposed on Tuesday after a snap election mid-January.
Napat heads a five-party coalition government, with more micro-parties likely to align with his administration.
The snap election took place after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in December that killed 14 people and displaced thousands.
Griffith University Adjunct Associate Professor Dr Tess Newton Cain told Pacific Waves that achieving stability in the government is also key for the new government.
Newton Cain believes Napat, who has held senior ministerial positions previously, is the right man for the job.
"Stability in government is not the job of one man. It requires a degree of consensus, compromise and coalition building and maintenance on the part of a number of people, particularly the leaders of the parties," she said.
"He has got a five-party coalition that he is dealing with at the moment. I expect that now that the government has been established, he may find that there are other independents and single member groups that want to align with the parties who are members of that coalition."
She hopes his new administration lasts the full term.
"Obviously, it is about the process of stability that everybody needs to work at," she said.
"What we would really hope to see is a combination of experience and a refreshed commitment to focussing on the bigger picture and being there for the full parliamentary term and seeking to get some important policy items achieved."
Newton Cain said Napat's coalition is taking a technocratic approach to its work and is expected to release a 100-day plan soon.
"They are also planning on having three month KPIs for ministers and senior officials, and three month performance reviews, which I understand they seem to be taking very seriously.
She said the government "has got a big job ahead of them".
"We have already heard from some of the senior members of this government that they are looking at increasing internet connectivity and making sure that service delivery really does try and get to that last mile where possible.
"I think they are aware of what is expected and needed [by the people]," she added.
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